Progress Archives - Page 38 of 46

The Story Of My Life

Posted on October 31, 2020

What do you say about yourself? How do you describe your life in your bio? Make sure the ideas support the best you. The story of my life has got to be put in the best light. Not just for others, but for me! I need to see how well I have done from where I began.

Once you have understood what your story is, you may want to go about improving on it. I don’t mean with just some creative licence though. I mean get a plan together and work towards exciting goals. Write a biography for your life now. Keep it to four sentences or shorter.

Now write a biography of your life in five years from now. What other skills will you have? What exciting achievements will you have accomplished? Now, in order to go from here to there, you will need to make some changes.

You will need to give up the story of your life (the one you have) to create the story of your life (the one you want).

Like old clothes, you need to get rid of them occasionally. Move on from the story of your life. Freshen it up and get ready for new adventures. Focus on the new story you are creating. Visualise. Build it and it will come.

Keep making improvements. That is the story of my life.

Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

So Much In Common

Posted on October 27, 2020

Divisive is a common word these days. Though I find it a strange word to use. People have so much in common and things will continue to get better.

Most people have the following in common: They would like peace, prosperity, kindness, low or no crime and even good and effective political policies.

Would you like to live in a calm and safe neighbourhood? I think most people would aspire to that. Should children be able to go to school to learn? Hard to imagine too much resistance to that in normal times.

Listening to people on most issues and concerns, they seem to want a similar destination for each topic. There may be some differences as to how best to get there or exactly what the final destination looks like. But there seems to be so much less to argue about. And certainly most of those things are superficial in their nature. Or they require only a minor tweak.

No matter how much some people want to focus on the high drama of negative, angry or inflammatory news reports, I am confident we are in a much better position than any previously seen.

One example of this is that the global average life expectancy in 1900 was 31 and in 2017 it was 72.2. Additionally it is very peaceful and many people’s standards of living are much higher than in 1900.

We have so much in common. Let’s focus on what those things are.

Observe Progress Think About It

Progress, Change Or Improve

Posted on October 26, 2020

People want to change the world. That doesn’t necessarily mean they will improve it. Given the chance to make progress, change or improve yourself, or anything else, which word would you choose?

I used to be an adherent to change. Change was good. It was different to whatever is now. But that may mean worse as well as better, from your perspective or from that of others.

Then I became an ardent fan of progress. Progress was better than change. It sounded like it was at least going in the best direction.

However, I am not sure things that seem like progress always are. Like change, it can seem good to some but can be at the expense of many others.

Knowing what we know now, many things that seemed like progress at the time, may not have turned out like that in the longer run.

Was the machine gun progress over a pistol? Was nuclear power progress? Industrialisation – was that progress? Ask people interested in the planet’s future.

We should aim to improve. Improving suggests making things better, for many. It encapsulates change and progress but also a broad reach that helps most people that are impacted by it. It’s not about a select few, or one political, religious or tribal view.

Progress, change or improve? Aim at improve.

Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

What Is Your Superpower?

Posted on October 20, 2020

Everyone has one. If you don’t know yours, you should have a little think about it. What is your superpower? How do you use it?

Kids tend to know their own superpower and that of the other kids. They know if the are brilliant and lightning quick at solving a Rubik’s Cube, like my son. He knew it because he could time himself. It became more obvious to him as children he didn’t even know would come up to him at school, hand him their cube and ask him to fix it for them. He always did. This was proof that others knew his super power too.

Remember, you can have more than one superpower. For example, Superman had incredible strength, heat vision and flight, to name a few. In contrast, you may not know of any power yet. Sometimes these are revealed at different times in life. It may be more about ‘when the student is ready, the teacher appears’. Or perhaps it is a matter of ‘seek and ye shall find’.

One other thing about this, is that your power may be underdeveloped. You will need to work at it, test it and experiment. It will grow stronger and you will be better able to control it as you work at it. You will need to have focus, discipline and persistence.

What is your superpower?

Action Goals, Results & New Thinking Progress

MTO Goal Setting Technique

Posted on October 18, 2020

Have you ever felt worse for setting a goal and not achieving it? A fantastic way to avoid that is by setting goals using the MTO goal setting technique.

I first read about this MTO technique in a book called, “Double Your Income Doing What You Love” by Canadian author Raymond Aaron.

This is a different way to set goals. It is very useful to both get people started with smaller wins and keep their big goals in front of them. The way to do this is in the name. MTO stands for Minimum, Target and Outrageous.

To use this technique, you start by noting down the goal theme. Then you note down what the Minimum goal is, what your actual Target is and finally what an Outrageous win for you would look like.

So your theme may be to tidy your bedroom. You may seek to clear your bedside table as an easy minimum achievement. Your target goal could be to do the minimum plus clear out all your old clothes. An outrageous goal might be to to do those and get the repairs done on the wall and windows, while also getting new curtains ordered.

So now if you only achieve the easy minimum, you will still feel good about meeting a goal. And you might even crack part of the Outrageous goal.

Time to make the MTO goal setting technique a new habit.

Action Progress Time

Having A Difficult Conversation

Posted on October 15, 2020

These can be tricky. They can also be uncomfortable. Often, though, it needs to be done. Having a difficult conversation can open up the situation. It can also help both sides understand thoughts and positions that they had not been aware of.

Few people relish jumping into a difficult conversation. Though some are more practiced at it than others. By going for it head on, you often get a quicker result and get things moving. This speed can also eliminate a lot of the waiting and over-thinking on both sides.

The waiting is the hardest part.
Tom Petty

In addition, the more of these tough chats you have, the less onerous they can become. You also see how they can be beneficial. Finally, you will also be less hesitant and more proactive when the situation or need arises.

Lean in to these opportunities. Aim for better outcomes each time. Read up on a few different techniques to use and practice them. You will improve and it will get easier.

It is rarely as bad as you anticipate or fear. Often both parties are relieved to have had the discussion. Both will feel more confident in their future, regardless of where it takes them.

Having a difficult conversation is worthwhile. Push through the uncomfortable.

Action Progress Time

Train For Gain

Posted on October 4, 2020

Muscle memory and habits are decent predictors of where we are going and how well we will succeed. Train for gain not simply to pass time. Use your time well.

This is one of the key messages I like to focus on as a coach. When the lads show up for Sunday rugby training, I want them to train like it’s an important game. Yes, it should be fun. But whatever they are practising now will be the best they can do when under pressure from the opposition and the clock in a real match.

If your are training at your best and trying to improve every skill you will gain an advantage. It takes focus and concentration as well as discipline and patience. And the time to improve is when you are training ahead of the matches.

This is true in sport and in all aspects of life. Set a high standard. Add in increasing expectation that you meet and stretch again. Train yourself in excellent use of language, good manners, posture, critical thinking and communication. You can do this daily. Consider it your daily training regime.

It’s not simply to improve on these aspects. But one day it will matter. One day you will need to be at your best. By then, it will be too late to do the training.

So always train for gain. Be ready for the game.

Progress Think About It

Value Judgements And Tradeoffs

Posted on September 28, 2020

Making decisions is easier when you know what you value. We are constantly assessing and prioritising our value judgements and tradeoffs.

Imagine you’re going to the shop with a £5 note. You intend to buy milk, bread and cereal. However, on your way, you walk past a newsstand with the latest edition of your favourite magazine.

Now you need to decide if the food is more important or the magazine. Alternatively you could return home for more cash to consume it all. But that would require more time at this moment. So now you need to create a hierarchy of values.

Do you value your time more now (perhaps you’re in a rush to a meeting)? Perhaps the magazine articles will help you understand a critical subject for a work project. Or maybe your child has been ill and not eaten for three days. Though now they want their favourite cereal and bread.

What item will be most important to you and your life in this very instant? The decisions and tradeoffs need to be made now.

Your views and circumstances may change in six months or six years. Nonetheless, you need to make this decision right here and now.

We are constantly making momentary value judgements and tradeoffs. Remember though, so is everyone else.

Action Progress Think About It

How High Can You Reach?

Posted on September 26, 2020

Some people love to strive. You can see this in many children. Just place the honey on a higher shelf. It’s like saying, “How high can you reach?”. Then watch that child stretch, climb, extend and exert themselves until it is safely in their grasp.

The honey is part of their vision for a better life. They know that the sweet taste and sugar high is just beyond their here and now. Many children carry on with that zest to follow a better vision. This is often in exchange for a little adventure, struggle or sacrifice.

Just like when a child is climbing and reaching, sometimes the outcome isn’t ideal. They may slip. Or they could fall. Sometimes they may reach their goal only to have it slip from their fingers. In their worst case scenario, the glass jar slips from their outstretched hand and breaks into a gooey mess on the floor.

Children learn to carry on and try again. Often they recall the lessons but not the pain of any previous failed attempts. Selective memory can be helpful.

Find a vision that excites you enough to stretch for it. Choose something that will fill you with joy and delight on the path, not just at the destination.

How high can you reach?

Action Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

Today Is The Day!

Posted on September 20, 2020

That’s right. It doesn’t even matter when you are reading this. Right now you can shift your life onto a new path. Today is the day!

Just saying that phrase can get the excitement levels up. You may also have to contend with some new level of anxiousness. But that is ok. This feeling can be channelled in a positive way. Your body is tingling. Some call it butterflies.

Regardless of what it is, it is more important how you perceive this feeling. And also what you will then do with it. You may simply be excited about getting extra energy into the day and making significant progress.

However, it may also be that you are expanding your comfort zone. This is great news. And of course it will feel a little uncertain or uncomfortable. But don’t focus on that. Or it could grow and get out of control.

Instead, focus that extra adrenaline and energy towards the desired outcome you’re seeking. This is a key step in shifting from uncomfortable to unstoppable. Harness this energy and use it to drive forward toward your desired result. This tactic will bring you one step closer to your goal.

If you do this repeatedly, you will achieve anything.

It is time to start.

Today is the day!